News

Middlesex to host State Little League Tournament

by Tom Hardin

About 200 baseball players and their coaches, fans and families from across Virginia will descend on Middlesex County over the next several days to take part in the Junior Little League State Tournament.

The Middlesex Little League and District 15 are the hosts of the tournament, which will be played at the Middlesex Sports Complex at Locust Hill.

Champions of 15 of Virginia Little League’s 16 districts will battle for a chance to advance to the Southern Regional Tournament set for August 8-12 in Cartersville, Georgia.

District 15, which includes Middlesex, will be represented by Essex in the tournament, which will showcase the best 13-14 year old players from across the state.

An opening ceremony with all players in uniform and on the field will begin at 6 p.m. today, July 23. After the ceremony, all the players and coaches will head to The Beacon at Topping for a 7 p.m. picnic dinner.

After spending the night in area motels, the teams will begin play on Friday morning. See complete schedule on page B1 inside this issue of the Sentinel.

Middlesex Little League volunteers have worked hard preparing to host the tournament and accommodate the hundreds of people expected at the games. “We’ve held a series of fundraisers throughout the year to help offset our expenses,” said Middlesex Little League official Randy Blue.

“We are estimating 200 families will visit the area over the three-day weekend,” said Blue, who is also the Umpire-in-Chief for the tournament.

Blue noted the 16 umpires from across the state who will call the games were evaluated and selected by Virginia Little League.

The games will be played on fields 1 and 3 at the sports complex.

On the smaller field below the concession stand will be a “Vendor Village” from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, July 24-25. Among those with booths in the village are Synthetic Turf of Virginia, Christchurch School, State Farm Insurance, Safelite Glass, Long & Foster Real Estate, Sports Centre, Bonded by Beads jewelry, Creative Partners-Initials Inc., and Sensational Celebration.

Classic Image Photography and Terry’s Ice Cream also will offer their goods and services. Classic Image Photography specializes in sports photography and will take photos of tournament participants and schedule private sessions for children of local residents upon request. The company’s work will be on display.

The Little League concession stand will be well stocked to feed the crowds.

A tournament pin, especially designed for the tournament by DPH pins, will be on sale. The design incorporates the Stingray Point Lighthouse and the Chesapeake Blue Crab.

Also on sale will be District 15 T-shirts and novelties.

Each of the 15 teams will be presented with a “goodie bag” of items donated by local businesses. “We really appreciate the support we’ve gotten from area businesses,” said Blue.